A conference on the theme of the balance between environmental protection and the satisfaction of the socio-economic needs of populations, Challenges and Perspectives, took place in Kinshasa on February 22, at the Wallonie Bruxelles International (WBI) center. This event is part of the "Art d'Eco" exhibition organized by the WBI General Delegation in Kinshasa, from February 22 to March 10, 2024.

ERAIFT, represented by its fundraising director (DFR), took an active part in this conference. Speaking as the first of 4 panelists, the ERAIFT DFR opened the round table. His presentation focused on ERAIFT as a regional school for future protected area managers. He illustrated his remarks with concrete examples such as the Yangambi flux tower, the Luki biosphere reserve and the Ibi village agroforestry carbon sink as a pilot action whose model, if replicated on a large scale, will lead to the creation of the Batéké ecological corridor.

At the end of his speech, the DFR took the opportunity to make the first public announcement of the next "English speaking days for Nature and Biodiversity @ERAIFT", to be held on April 17 and 18 at the school's Mont Amba site. The DFR also informed the public about the next ERAIFT online course on value chains, at the beginning of March, and the roadmap to the end of the year.

This ERAIFT intervention is part of the roll-out of activities under the project to build the capacity of biodiversity practitioners, scientists and policy-makers for the sustainable management of protected areas and forest ecosystems in Africa. This large-scale initiative in the Congo Basin sub-region and West Africa is funded by the European Union and ERAIFT, a category 2 center under the auspices of UNESCO. The AGRINATURA EEIG and ERAIFT are jointly implementing this project.

ERAIFT would like to take this opportunity to thank the European Union and the Wallonie Bruxelles International delegation in DR Congo, as well as all its partners, for making these important interventions possible.